"The result,' he claimed, "is a horse that can quickly achieve its optimum movement with respect to its conformation and training, and usually extremely satisfied clients."

Detoxification: Is it important for horses too?

According to David Steinman, former representative of the public interest at the National Academy of Sciences, everyone has a specific level of tolerance that cannot be exceeded if good health is to be maintained. If the amount of toxins within the body stays below that level, the body can usually adapt and rid itself of these. "However," says Steinman, "when the system is overwhelmed, the body's defense mechanism malfunctions, and symptoms such as fatigue, confusion, aggression, or mental disorder may occur."

Indications that the body may need detoxification are headaches, joint pain, recurrent respiratory problems, back pain, allergy symp- toms, insomnia, mood changes, and food allergies. Conditions such as arthritis, constipation, hemorrhoids, sinus congestion, ulcers, psoriasis, and acne can also indicate the need for detoxification. Can environ- mental toxius effect horses too? If so, is it possible to detoxify horses?

Laboratory tests can also shed light on the need for detoxification. Tests can involve analysis of stool, urine, blood or liver function, as well as hair analysis. However, physicians who are not familiar with detoxification may be reluctant to perform such tests. People consider- ing a detoxification program will want to find a doctor who under- stands the concepts of detoxification. This is also true in veterinary medicine.

Today people, and other animals, are exposed to chemicals in far greater concentrations than were previous generations: for example, over 69 million Americans live in areas that exceed smog standards;' most drinking water contains over seven hundred chemicals, including excessive levels of lead; some three thousand chemicals are added to the food supply; and as many as ten thousand chemicals in the form of solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives are used in food processing and storage, which can remain in the body for years. Is hay and grain free of these toxins?

Everyday products such as gasoline, paint, household cleansers, cosmetics, pesticides, and dry cleaning fluid also pose a serious threat because the body cannot easily break them down. At the same time, ecological changes in the environment are occurring faster than the human organism can adapt to them. As the earth becomes more and more polluted, the body inadvertently becomes a filter that "traps" these pollutants.

"People now carry within their bodies a modern-day chemical cocktail derived from industrial chemicals, pesticides, food additives, heavy metals, anesthetics, and the residues of pharmaceutical, legal, and illegal drugs."

"The current level of chemicals in the food and water supply and the indoor and outdoor environment has lowered our threshold of resistance to disease and has altered our body's metabolism, causing enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbal- ances," says Marshall Mandell, M.D., father of the field of bioecologic medicine.

According to Zane Gard, M.D., of Beaverton, Oregon, bioaccumulation (a buildup in the body of foreign substances) seriously compromises physiological and psychological health. Over the last ten years, hundreds of studies have demon- strated the dangers to health from toxic bioaccumulation. "A body with a healthy immune system, efficient organs of elimination and detoxification, and a sound circulatory and nervous system can handle a great deal of toxicity," states Leon Chaitow, N.D., DO., of London, England. "But if they have been damaged from chronic exposure to environmental pollutants, restoring these functions, organs, and systems can be accomplished only through detoxification therapies, including fasting, chelation, and nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic methods, which accelerate the body's own natural cleansing processes. These therapies will dominate medical thinking in the years ahead."

Detoxi f icat ion

"1 believe that the process of detoxifica- tion through special cleansing diets as well as juice and water fasts is the missing link to rejuvenating the body and preventing such chronic diseases as cancer, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity," says Elson Haas, M.D., Director of the Marin Clinic of Preventive Medicine and Health Educa- tion in San Rafael, California. According to David Steinman, former representative of the public interest at the National Academy of Sciences, everyone has a specific level of tolerance that cannot be exceeded if good health is to be maintained.

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